Anko Neechan
by One Arcane
Summary: Two Peas in a pod, Mitarashi Anko and Uzumaki Naruko embark on an adventure of self discovery, friendship, and mayhem.
1. Chapter 1: The Demon

**Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto. If I did… it'd never gotten past the one shot. Maybe.**

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She was twelve. She was in Hell.

Leaf Chunin Mitarashi Anko dodged more rubble as it fell from the buildings around her. The Demon Fox couldn't have been attacking for more than a few minutes, but already the village was almost unrecognizable to the spikey haired kunoichi. She cursed silently as another building nearly collapsed on top of her. She stumbled as the ground shook from one of the Kyuubi's blows, but she managed to jump clear in time. A small rock clipped her forehead wear she normally wore her Hitai-ite, a painful reminder of the past year.

Breathing heavily, she leaned against a section of wall and tried to catch her breath. Not for the first time, she wished she had her equipment with her. The black shirt and pants she wore offered little protection from the fierce winds and falling debris caused by the fierce battle. The leather jacket helped some, but she wished desperately for some reinforced mesh.

A tight knot of dread clenched in her stomach as she watched her home crumble and burn around her. She spotted a group of civilians huddling in the shadow of what used to be a clothing store. Anko shouted at them, "Hey! You people need to get out of here! Any non-shinobi is supposed to evacuate immediately!"

The villagers huddled together, paralyzed with fear. "MOVE YOUR COLLECTIVE ASSES MAGGOTS!! OR I'LL FEED YOU TO THE DAMNED FOX MYSELF!!" Black snakes slid from her jacket and hissed menacingly. That got them moving.

With a twitch, Anko ordered the snakes back up her sleeves. Doku and Eki were her most loyal summons, and though she hated herself for wasting the chakra, their presence comforted her.

With the villagers in (relatively) safe retreat, Anko resumed her run to the village center. To the Kyuubi. She had no Illusions, she knew she was probably going to her death. But as a summoner, even one just shy of thirteen, she could do more against the kyuubi than most. She didn't have the chakra capacity for a truly useful summon, but she could help. That was all that mattered to her.

No one had trusted her since her Sensei had defected from Konoha. Only the Yondaime had shown an ounce of mercy towards her. Not that she liked the man, If he hadn't beaten Orochimaru-sama to the title of Hokage, her sensei never would have left. Though, he had stopped the Torture and Interrogation Squad from physically harming her. And there were those… rumors.

She shook the depressing thoughts from her head. She would prove that she was worthy of her Hitai-ite. Or she would die trying.

Anko turned the corner and came in full view of the kyuubi no Kitsune. She nearly fell to her knees in terror. The Great demon was turned away from her, but she could still feel its terrible chakra poisoning the air, filled with killer intent. The kunoichi gritted her teeth and prepared her summoning jutsu, but the demon turned and Anko froze in fear.

For a breath, Anko fully expected to die from the kyuubi's glare alone. It wasn't until a huge impact knocked her down that she realized the demon's attention was behind her. It was only took a moment. One second, the Kyuubi howled defiantly at its opponent, the next… it was gone, both its crimson chakra and malevolent presence dissolveing into the night air. Anko looked behind her to see an enormous toad extend its tongue, and lower something to the ground. It was a man, the Hokage. He was dead.

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**Thanks for reading my first ever fanfic. I hope you liked it.**

**Suggestions and comments are welcome, flameing is not.**

**Yes, the first few chapters may have more Anko than Naruko (yes Naru-KO) but that'll change. probably.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Sandaime

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did, the art would suck.

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The Hokage's office was crowded. A number of Jonin and Chunin shuffled uncomfortably next to Elders and Dignitaries. Only moments before, the room was full of angry shouting and harsh accusations. All this dimmed to silence when the Sandaime carried the body of his successor through the doors.

Mitarashi Anko was followed the retired Hokage with a bundle in her arms. Young as she was, she hid her face behind a mask of indifference. Behind the mask however, her emotions were threatening to boil over.

She had disobeyed her parole in an effort to fight against the demon, and had only succeeded in being a witness to the Yondaime's death.

She stood at attention near the floor to ceiling windows that ran along the back of the room, facing the Hokage monument. Three past Hokages overlooked the village from the plateau.

Their stone faces held a look of eternal determination. A fourth face was nearing completion next to the others. Her former master's rival never lived to see his own monument completed. She would have found it ironic if she hadn't been close to tears.

The bundle in her arms shifted despite the Sleep jutsu the Sandaime had placed on the baby within. Anko didn't fully understand what had happened, but she knew that the child had something to do with the Kyuubi's disappearance, and the Yondaime's death.

She could see him as he lay cold and prone on the desk that had been his for less than two years. The man he had succeeded, the Sandaime Hokage stood behind the desk and cleared his throat.

Sarutobi Hiruzin was well on his way to becoming an old man. But dressed in armor that had seen thousands of battles, he gave off an aura of power and strength undiminished from the days of his prime.

If he hadn't had their attention before, he had it now. "All those who are not on the village council, or lack the required clearance, please exit and do what you can to aid the wounded." His voice was soft and quiet, but no one questioned his orders.

Anko, unsure of what to do, looked nervously towards the Sandaime. He motioned for her to stay. A young boy about her age also remained in the room. He had spiked silver hair, and hid his face with a mask. He had also covered his left eye with bandages.

Soon the room was near empty. Only the village elders and a few high ranking shinobi remained. An ANBU near the door gestured that the room was secure.

"This... Today…" the Hokage paused searching for the right words.

"Our village has never had a darker day. As all of you know, we learned the Kyuubi was near the village only a short time before the attack. Despite our best efforts, the demon penetrated the village and many brave shinobi gave their lives in defense of the village." The Hokage paused and gestured to Anko. "Mitarashi-san was nearest to Minato when he confronted the Kyuubi, I would like for you all to hear her report."

Anko swallowed nervously as she felt the room's attention shift to her. She saw recognition in many of those eyes, as well as anger and hate. She swallowed nervously and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I was in my home when the Kyuubi attacked. I've been on probation so I didn't know anything until the Fox started wrecking things. I…" Anko paused, knowing the consequences for what she had done. "I wanted to help defend the village and I violated my probation, using snake summoning."

Anko could feel the heat of the glares she was getting from some of the room's occupants. All of them knew that the jutsu was taught to her by Orochimaru, who was now a missing Nin.

"Go on please, Mitarashi-san," The old Hokage said warmly. "You did what you thought was best."

Anko was surprised to have the Sandaime's support. But his kind words gave her the courage to go on.

"I ran as fast as I could towards where the Kyuubi was. I could tell his position from the roars and debris." Anko winced as she realized what she was saying was redundant. "I directed civilians that I saw away from the battle and got as close to the demon as I could. I guess he moved closer to me too, because I was the only one around when I flanked him."

She took another deep breath. "As soon as I arrived, the demon turned to face a toad that attacked it from behind me. Before I had a chance to do anything, the Kyuubi disappeared and…"

"Disappeared? Just like that?" one of the village elders, an elderly woman interrupted.

"Yes, Koharu. I and others have all seen the same thing. The Kyuubi vanished right after being confronted by Minato." The Sandaime raised a hand to ward off further questions as they arose. "Please Allow Mitarashi-san to finish."

"After it vanished, I guess that the Hokage… the Yondaime fell because the toad stuck its tongue out to catch something and lowered Him to the ground." Anko swallowed nervously again. "W...When I got to him, t...this baby was in his arms." Anko gently unwrapped the still sleeping child, so the others could see its face.

Gasps of surprise and outrage filled the room. "That's impossible..."

"But that would mean…"

One man silenced them all with a word. "Jinchuriki."

Anko started when she recognized the man as Orochimaru's former teammate, Jiraiya. _How did I not see him? _She thought. He wasn't wearing his usual attire, due to the many bandages wrapped around him.

Everyone turned to look at the man as he sat down on the floor. "Minato used this newborn child to seal the demon fox, and the jutsu killed him. Am I right sensei?" After the Sandaime nodded, Jiraiya continued. "I've just come from the hospital in the western district where I was recovering from my last fight with Orochimaru." Anko tensed.

Jiraiya went on to describe how he had seen his weeping student, Minato, leave the hospital with a newborn child. He said that Minato had also left a message, which Jiraiya then read out loud. The message was brief, but not hurried. The Man had thought long about his decision.

The Hokage apologized for his death, and whatever inconvenience it caused, especially to the Sandaime. He gave his reasons, and requested that the child not be harmed. He appointed Jiraiya as the Godfather, and caretaker of the child, it being an orphan. He finished the message by saying that his official will and testament should cover everything else.

"The child is his, isn't it?" One of the elders questioned. "You can't keep that secret from us, Jiraiya, Hiruzin."

The Hokage sighed and shared a look with his pupil. "Yes, the child is his. I want this treated as an S-class secret." He gave a few pointed glares to people around the room. Anko received one of them. "If outsiders knew that the Jinchuriki was also the child of Minato's, it would cause no end of trouble."

"Kushina died while in Labor." Jiraiya added. "Minato asked me to be the godfather, but I cannot care for this child _and_ search for Orochimaru."

The Sandaime nodded. "I will arrange for an orphanage to care for the child, I only hope we can find one willing." He held up his hands as arguments began to pour in.

"If the child is a Jinchuriki it must be trained…"

"That kind of power can't be allowed in the village…"

"We can't let our enimies get hold of it…"

"SILENCE!" the Hokage shouted. Anko could see his face flush with anger. "We will honor the Yondaime Hokage's last wishes. The child will have as normal a life as we can give it. I will have no arguments on the matter. As acting Hokage, my word is final. We can waste no more time on this matter. Our village was badly damaged by this attack. I need everyone to return to their emergency duties. Another meeting will be called soon."

Though many looked like they still wanted to argue, the room emptied of people quickly. Anko received more than a few hateful glares, though most turned their anger towards the child in her arms.

The Hokage again motioned for Anko to hand him the baby. She did so, but waited a moment before leaving. The Silver-haired boy walked up to stare at the child. It was hard to read his expression, but Anko thought he looked sad, almost guilty.

"Did Minato-sensei leave a name?" _ His name is Kakashi. _She suddenly realized. _The Yondaime was his trainer._

"Her name is Naruko. We'll call her Uzumaki after her mother."

Kakashi looked like he wanted to stay but turned and left the room. Anko Followed.

Neither would see the young girl for many years.

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**Notes:**

**Wow this was an interesting chapter to write. I wasn't planning on spending this much time on one meeting, but I wanted to get the right foundation for Naruko's childhood.**

**Nothing was ever explained about how Naruto's upbringing was decided, so I wanted this chapter to work for both Naruto and Naruko.**

**I really tried hard to get their personalities across right. Anko at this time, was just abandoned by Orochimaru, so she's not quite out of the habit of referring to him respectfully. She's also just started to live in that "Hell" of loneliness. So she hasn't yet gained that loud and provocative side that helps her cope with the pain. **

**Sarutobi is also a little different from his normal self. I wanted him to be a little short of temper. (Minato just ****died**** for heaven's sake)**

**Anyway, Reviews and suggestions are welcome, Flameing is not.**

**I'm trying to decide if there should be any other gender changes in the rookie nine. Most three man teams have two guy's and a girl. I don't really want to mix up the teams. And I'd like to leave Sakura and Sasuke alone. Should there be more Kunoichi in the other teams? Review and help me decide.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Brat

**I do not own Naruto. If I did I wouldn't have to use this disclaimer.**

**Anko Nee-san Chapter 3: The Brat

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It was a warm winter day in Konoha. The sun shown gently on the Fire nation's hidden village. A gentle breeze blew through the streets. All throughout the village there was peace and quiet.

Mostly…

"GET BACK HERE!"

Seven years old and already a troublemaker, Uzumaki Naruko ran from the shopkeeper with her prize. The girl was short, blonde, and hungry. She couldn't help it if the man's onigiri smelled irresistible. She dodged around and through groups of shoppers as she ran down the street.

A number of people saw her and cursed as they stepped back. They recognized her hair, and the brown orphanage jumpsuit she wore. She didn't have to see their faces to know the look in their eyes.

Thankfully she was fast enough to dodge around several corners without the shopkeeper seeing. If she was lucky, the other villagers had lost her too. They wouldn't be willing to chase or grab her, but they could show the angry man where she went.

Naruko had seen kids like her steal sometimes. They had it rough; normal villagers would stop them if they tried to get away, but only ninjas seemed willing to touch Naruko.

She turned one last corner into a small alley and hid behind some trash cans. She paused to make sure that the ditch was clear. She could use that as an escape route if anyone found her.

She almost wished the villagers weren't afraid of her. Then she might not go hungry in the first place. The girl tore into the rice ball like she hadn't eaten in days. Truthfully she had eaten breakfast that very morning, but the Matron at the orphanage only gave Naruko one small meal a day.

Lately, Naruko had been sneaking away from the orphanage to steal food when her hunger got unbearable. Eventually the Matron would send for a ninja to track her down, but Naruko had a few days of freedom to look forward to.

As she finished wolfing down the rice, Naruko wondered how someone could eat better on the streets than in the orphanage. She knew the other children got fed twice a day, with larger meals too.

Her full stomach made the young girl sleepy, but her throat was dry from eating. She stood. She knew there was a stream nearby where she could quench her thirst.

Checking the rooftops for ninja, she peeked around the corner of the alley. The shopkeeper had probably given up trying to chase her by now.

She quickly ran out of hiding and made her way to the stream. She was unlucky. She saw a group of ninja walking towards her, and quickly tried to hide behind a woman. If she put her head down, they might overlook her as the woman's daughter.

Unfortunately the woman, who had been looking at some jewelry in a store window, noticed Naruko. After a moment she recognized her. She screamed.

Naruko ran desperately to get away, but inevitably a strong hand grabbed the back of her jumpsuit and yanked her off her feet.

"Tch, Damn brat has been stealing again." The green vested man shook her around. "Do you think it's funny to steal from these people! A thing like you probably gets a kick out of ruining good people's business!"

Naruko kept her eyes shut tight. She didn't want to have to see the way people were looking at her.

"Hey, Look at me Damn it!!" The ninja shook her around again.

The man cursed again as she didn't respond. "Fine, have it your way. You'll still get it taken out of your hide."

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Naruko bit back a yell as her bare back struck the ground. Hard.

She curled up in a painful, quivering ball. The matron's punishment had been rough, even for her. Long strips of pain ran all across her back. The matron was shouting something, but Naruko had long since stopped listening.

Naruko had known the matron would punish her for running away again. She never thought that she'd make her take off her jumpsuit for the cane.

The other children had watched as the matron rained blow after blow on the 'Demon Brat'. None of them had made any move to help the child clad in only a loincloth. The old woman had long since told all the children why no parents would adopt a child from their orphanage. It was her fault. It was always her fault.

Naruko slowly tried to sit up as the door to her tiny room slammed shut and locked. Tears began to run down her face.

'_Why is it always like this?' _she thought. '_What makes me so different?' _"Kuso!" she swore. "I'm always crying!"

Things never changed. She would live at the orphanage until hunger or hurt made her run away. She'd be on the street a few days. She'd be found, beat, and taken back to the orphanage. She'd be beaten again, and she'd cry.

Naruko was sick of it. She didn't want to live this life anymore. She wished she could get away. Something had to change.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, though they threatened to return immediately. "Baka!" she shouted at herself, "Do something!"

"Anything…" she whispered. She wrapped her arms around her knees as she tried to ignore the painful stripes on her back. _'Why can't they treat me like everyone else? Why can't they respect me?'_

She thought about the few people who had ever been kind to her. There was that man with the ramen shop. He'd been one of the first. Naruko had been five the first time she ran away from the orphanage. She hadn't learned to steal.

Teuchi had watched her. He knew who she was, but somehow he couldn't help but feel sorry for the scrawny girl. She looked like she hadn't eaten for days. She always stayed in the alleys near restaurants, attracted to the smell of food.

He was surprised one day when his twelve year old daughter, Ayame, left a tiny bowl of noodles a short distance from the dumpster in the alley.

Naruko remembered watching as Teuchi angrily threw away the noodles his daughter had left. She remembered what he said. "If you're going to be kind to someone, you need to do it properly!" She remembered the smile on both their faces as Teuchi led Naruko inside and treated her to a bowl of his best ramen.

She had asked them then, why they didn't hate her. Teuchi had gotten a distant look in his eyes when he told her that his wife would never have let a cute little girl go hungry. Ayame said that her mother had been one of the kindest people in the village before she died. Everyone had loved her mother. Naruko remembered the smile on the older girls face when she said that she wanted to be like her mother. Then everyone would love her too.

Naruko's now dry eyes gazed up and the dim light that illuminated her room. She had tried being kind to others, but people spat on her gifts, and took her words as insulting. She couldn't change things just by being kind like Ayame's mother.

Naruko remembered the ninja who had taken her back to the orphanage. She hadn't liked him, but she saw how people looked at him when he walked by. He was respected. He was strong. She'd seen other ninja; the villagers treated them all the same. They were respected. They were strong.

"Ninja."

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Hurrah! 3****rd**** chapter is up!**

**I wanted to tone-down the violence a lot of people write about Naruto getting from the villagers. I figure that while they hate Naruko, they're also afraid of her, especially the civilians. Because of this and the Hokage's orders, she's spared the worst of the violence. But still suffers loneliness full force.**

**I'm getting closer to decideing the teams for the rookie nine. I either want Sasuke, Naruko, and Sakura all together, or all separate. Which should it be?**

**EDIT: thanks to irishman91 for pointing out that the term "Demon Brat" is used far too often.**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Application

**I do not own Naruto. This chapter, however, is MINE!**

**Anko Neechan chapter 4: The Application**

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"I want to be a Ninja."

The words felt right in Naruko's mouth. She stood grinning at the stunned clerk who sat at the admissions desk. The poor woman hadn't moved since Naruko had walked in the door. She considered herself a very talented clerk. She'd performed her job with efficiency for almost forty years. She had lost documents only twice, and in both occasions a significant portion of the Shinobi Academy Office was destroyed. Neither occasion, in her opinion, had warranted a nervous breakdown.

Yet seeing the Kyuubi Child walk into the office and demand admission… She almost had a stroke. "W… wh… why do youwant to be a ninja?" was all the unfortunate clerk could manage as she struggled to regain her composure.

Naruko tilted her head to the side, still grinning. A knot of anxiety twisted in her gut. This woman wasn't going to let her apply, she just knew it.

Eight year old Uzumaki Naruko wasn't really that surprised. She could see that the woman had recognized her as soon as she walked in. Naruko was hard to not recognize. Even if they missed the whisker like birthmarks on her cheeks, her spiky blonde hair, roughly cut just above her shoulders, stood out. Worse, no one could miss the hideously orange jumpsuit the matron at the orphanage made her wear.

Naruko puzzled over what she could say that could possibly improve her dismal chances of acceptance. She forced herself to keep smiling, afraid of what her face might show if she didn't. She and the clerk stared at each other for almost a full minute before one of them worked up the courage to speak.

"W… well," the clerk stammered, "I suppose it doesn't really matter, but I'll need permission from a parent or guardian."

"I don't have any parents."

The clerk, to her credit, had managed to regain her composure, and managed a small smile. Inside, she was desperately trying to keep herself from passing out. '_Baka! Of course she doesn't have any parents!' _She quietly cleared her throat. "I suppose I'll have to talk to the head of your orphanage. Did you bring a representative?"

Naruko sweated while remembering the elaborate escape she staged just that morning.

"I'm sorry, but without a legal guardian I can't process your application. You'll have to come back some other time."

Naruko's heart sank. She hadn't known she'd need an adult to sign her up. She had been afraid the woman would just throw her out; she hadn't counted on the rules stopping her from joining.

"Err… Okay. I'll be back some other time, Secretary-san." Naruko said, closing her eyes. She rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Um, it's Kiaiyo-san1. Thank you."

Naruko looked up, surprised, into Kiaiyo's nervous smile. Naruko returned it. "I'm Uzumaki Naruko, arigato Kiaiyo-san!" Naruko bowed before she turned to leave the room.

'_Uzumaki…' _with a start, the old clerk realized she'd never had a name to put to the child. She'd heard the rumors about her, but no one ever called her by name. _'But Uzumaki…'_

Kiaiyo suddenly burst into motion, searching through the files on her desk. She found the folder she was looking for. It contained all the applications submitted for the upcoming school year. _'Toyotomi… Tsutaya... Uchiha…_

She stopped dead when she found the application she was looking for. It had been put on her desk a week before, the first application to be submitted. The guardian's signature was sloppy, hardly legible. It was the other signature that had bothered her when she received it, the signature of Sarutobi Hiruzin, Sandaime Hokage.

Her hands trembled as she read the name at the top. "Uzumaki Naruko…" Kiaiyo dropped the folder on her normally tidy desk, and ran after the little blonde girl.

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**This was definitely a difficult chapter for me. The previous three chapters have all been emotional in a negative way. I wrote them to be a little depressing. The end of the last chapter marks a change in Naruko's personality. It was kind of hard to switch gears like that. Also, I'm sorry that this chapter's a good bit shorter than the previous two. But I'll try to update again soon to compensate.**

**On another note, the new Expansion for PWI came out, and is trying to distract me. (Why are the Tideborns' faces always white when you can customize the rest of their skin?)**

**1 Kiaiyo means "Forgiveness" I thought it was appropriate, considering she didn't just throw Naruko out on her ear.**

**Please Read and Review! **

**(Thank you irishman91 for a great review, and the helpful tip. Reviews like that get answered)**


	5. Chapter 5: The Tower

**I do not own Naruto; Sad, but true.**

**Anko Neechan Chapter 5: The Tower**

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Naruko's sandals were too small, but that didn't stop her from running as fast as could. She ran with her head down and her arms to the sides as she'd seen the ninja do, dodging obstacles and passer-by.

She'd discovered she liked running last year, when she first started imitating the shinobi she had seen around the village. She had found that she liked the feeling of freedom she got when she ran; the feeling that she could leave the hurtful world behind.

Naruko couldn't keep a grin off her face as she ran to the Hokage tower. After Kiaiyo-san had told her she was already accepted to the academy, she just couldn't sit still. She didn't know how it had happened, but Kiaiyo had said the Hokage's signature was on a paper, and that paper had her name on it.

She thought that maybe her luck had changed. Someone in heaven must be happy with her. She sang to herself as she ran, "Ninja, ninja… I'm gonna' be a NINJA!!" This was going to be a good day.

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'_This is __not__ going to be a good day'_, thought Mitarashi Anko as her alarm clock rang. It continued to brazenly ring out its wake up call before being silenced by a kunai.

Anko yawned while nursing her hangover. _'Why did I set the alarm after having a sake night? Or did I have a sake night after I had set the alarm?' _she pondered thoughtfully. _ 'What day is it anyway? Has to be something going on that's worth a new clock...'_

Absentmindedly, she pulled her kunai from the alarm clock and pushed the broken instrument into a waiting garbage can. It landed on eight of its similarly destroyed brethren, giving a last sad clang of regret.

Anko winced as the noise aggravated her headache. _'I could have sworn I had something today…'_

"Kuso!!" she cursed aloud, grabbing the broken clock from the can. She tried to make sense of the mangled clock's face. The hands were stopped at 10:45. "Ack, I'm late!!"

For someone with a hangover, Anko moved remarkably fast when she wanted to, especially when she was getting promoted.

It had been more than ten years since her first sensei had taken her in, and eight since he had abandoned her. _Damn that Orochimaru… one day I'll pay him back for what he did to me. _Anko smirked a little bit as she threw her coat over her sleepwear. _Today, I'm closer than ever._

Anko grabbed her Hitai-ite and slammed the door behind her. She instantly regretted it. "Ugh, my head…" massaging her temples for a moment, before taking off for the Hokage tower. Today would be worth aggravating a hangover. She knew that when she started drinking. Anko deftly threw herself to roof of the adjacent building. Despite shading her sensitive eyes to the sunlight; she landed gracefully, perfectly. ..

After a moment she returned to her apartment to get her shoes, closing the door quietly this time.

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The Hokage's tower is the center of Konohagakure no Sato. While not in the actual center, it is without a doubt the most important building in the village. Missions for the various teams of shinobi are issued there, spy networks submit their reports, and council meetings are held. Despite all the traffic, security is tight.

ANBU teams constantly patrol the corridors. They see everyone who enters. They see everyone who leaves. So when the elite, lizard-masked Hunter-Nin saw a little girl in an orange jumpsuit try to sneak past, he did what he a good Hunter-Nin always does.

He took a nap. Let the Chunin deal with kids.

Naruko felt a thrill of excitement as she snuck past the Chunin at the front desk. She'd done this a few times before. The joy of sneaking around was another thing she discovered when she decided to imitate the ninja. Getting into places she shouldn't be was pretty easy when she'd been trying to avoid attention her whole life, orange jumpsuit or not.

The little blonde girl wasn't sure how she felt about the jumpsuit. The matron had forced it on her last month, after she'd managed to last four weeks without being taken back to the orphanage. The old woman had said something about, "standing out," and "always being able to find you now."

Naruko smirked at the Matron's horror when Naruko began "standing out" in ways she couldn't have imagined. Naruko had taken to big obnoxious grins, and loud laughter. It was mainly out of spite, but she enjoyed how it unsettled the workers at the orphanage. The kids there weren't as afraid of her anymore either. They still didn't like her, but they laughed at her antics. She liked the attention, but it made it harder to sneak around.

Still, the challenge made her heart beat faster with excitement, and she liked that. She quietly peeked around the corner of the hall where the Hokage's office was located. This was the hard part. Ninja came in and out of that office all the time. If she messed up the timing, she'd never get inside. She watched carefully as a group of Chunin exited the office and walked in the opposite direction. Naruko smirked again, she was lucky they hadn't walked towards her; she wouldn't have to hide again.

Springing forward, Naruko made a beeline for the door to the office, only to have something heavy crash into her from behind.

"KUSO!!"

Naruko looked up in time to see a purple-haired woman fly over her head before they both crashed to the floor.

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**Wow, difficult chapter. I knew I wanted to re-introduce Anko, but I didn't have a clue as to how I wanted the scenes to play out before I started. Sorry for the delay. **

**Answers to question sure to be asked****: **

**Why Anko was was late when her alarm woke her up immediately? She was drinking the night before. She wasn't drunk enough to forget her appointment, but she was too drunk to set the alarm properly.**

**Why didn't the ANBU guard stop Naruto? It's obvious that an ANBU can tell the difference between a 7 ½ year old girl, and someone posing as a 7 ½ year old girl. Besides, she'd been caught in there before. Leave the Chunin to do grunt work; he was only interested in legitimate threats.**

**Next: The Crazy Lady**


	6. Chapter 6: The Crazy Lady

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. And I don't feel like getting sued.**

**Anko Neechan Chapter 6: The Crazy Lady

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Mitarashi Anko whimpered._ 'Today is definitely a bad day. Who cares if the test results are in, doing a face-plant is no way to treat a hangover.'_

Anko slowly sat up massaging her temples through the cloth of her Hitai-ite. "Ugh, what the Hell did I trip on anyway?" She looked up to see an orange clad girl trying in hide in a corner. _'How'd I miss seeing someone like that? The orange sticks out like a sore thumb.' _She thought.

"Hey kid, you really ought to watch where you're going. What are you doing here anyway?" Anko frowned as the girl just sweated, facing the wall. Abruptly, the girl took a big gulp of air before jumping up and turning around. "I'M UZUMAKI NARUKO, AND I'M HERE TO SEE THE HOKAGE!"

"Ah, and do you have an appointment Uzumaki-san?" Both Anko and the girl turned to see the shinobi that had just turned the corner. He was about six foot, brown hair, and unremarkable save a thick ropey burn scar that ran from the bridge of his nose down the left side of his face.

"Raido!" Anko exclaimed. Namiashi Raido was a sword specialist she had worked with before. He was a Chunin… well _was. _Anko didn't miss the subtle markers used to separate Chunin from higher ranked shinobi. "Tokubetsu Jonin! You passed the test."

"You wouldn't be surprised if you had been there at the results presentation this morning." Anko smiled sheepishly at his scolding. He sighed, "Well, at least you're here now. That saves me the time of looking for you… both of you."

"Both of us?" Anko looked at the blonde girl. She had gone back to hiding in the corner.

"Yeah, I guess I'm lucky. My first duty is to find and deliver messages to both of you, and you both turn up…. What are you wearing?"

"Huh?"

Raido pointed at her clothes. Anko looked down. "Um, I didn't have time to change earlier, so I just threw my coat on over what I was already wearing."

"Yousleep in a t-shirt and boxers?!"

"Yeah and…?"

"I just expected… well you normally wear…" He shook his head, "Never mind. Anyway, you both have messages from the Hokage."

The blonde girl, who looked to have gathered up some courage again, looked skeptical. "You have a message, for me?"

Raido looked away uncomfortably. He didn't hold the kid responsible for what had happened that day… but she still made him nervous. He rubbed a thumb along his scar. "Yes. The orphanage reported that you were missing again, and assigned me to find and tell you that an application has been submitted to the Shinobi Academy. You may attend if you'd like." Anko yawned, and Raido glared at her.

"Oh, I know that already. Secretary-san told me the Hokage signed a paper with my name on it."

"Ahem, yes well… I assume that you want to accept?"

"I wanna be a ninja!"

Raido chuckled nervously. "Of course you do."

Anko sighed and stood up. "I sure that's all very interesting but I'd like to know whether or not **I** get to be a Jonin." She pulled out a Kunai and began cleaning her nails. "I'd really, really like to get my message now Raido-kun." She said in a sweet voice.

Raido started sweating. "R-right... The Hokage wanted me to tell you the results of your Jonin Exam…"

Anko leaned forward, a very snake-like smile on her face. "And…"

Raido paled. "…after you help young Uzumaki-san find an apartment." He said in a small voice.

…

"NANI!!!!"

When he got the assignment, Raido had been excited that his first assignment as a Tokubetsu Jonin would aggravate Mitarashi Anko. He wasn't feeling any of that excitement know that the purple haired kunoichi had him by the front of his shirt.

"I get an apartment?!" Naruko questioned excitedly.

"What are you talking about, Maggot! Do I get promoted or not!?" Raido began to sweat more heavily when he noticed that Anko still had the kunai in her grip.

"T…the Matron of her orphanage requested the girl be transferred! She said she can't control her, and no other orphanage would take her! The girl has been surviving on the streets just fine for weeks at a time, an apartment would be an improvement for her."

"You know what's funny?" Anko asked, shifting her grip on the kunai. "I still don't see how this involves me."

"You were late this morning."

Anko sighed, and hung her head. Taking her hands off the shinobi, she massaged her scalp. "None of this is helping my headache."

Raido made a choking sound, and the kunoichi looked up to see the little girl tugging on his sleeve. She almost burst out laughing at the face he pulled. The girl made him look more nervous than a mouse in a snake den.

"Um… Scar-san," The girl asked, "Does this mean I have to go with the crazy lady today?"

Anko glared. '_Crazy Lady!?'_

The man somehow managed to look more uncomfortable when he noticed Anko's glare. "…Hai."

"I won't have to go back to the orphanage?"

"…Hai. Anko's going to help you buy an apartment."

The girl grinned like all her dreams had just come true.

Raido leaned over and whispered to Anko. "You'll have to put up with her until this evening. Someone will be sent inform you of your exam results. I think you passed, but the Hokage probably wants to see how you'll do with the girl."

"Kuso, it'd be just like the old man to throw in an extra test. Who is this brat anyway?"

"You don't know?" The man looked at her, surprised. "She's that girl. You know, October Tenth?"

Anko's eyes widened. She glanced at the distracted child's spiky blonde hair and blue eyes._ She looks like him… her father…_

Anko felt very conflicted inside. She badly wanted to know the results of her exam; the council had held her back long enough. She also felt a little uncomfortable now that she knew who the brat was. It'd been over seven years since she'd seen the kid, lying in her father's arms.

Her aching head couldn't handle all of the different information. So she simply did as she always did. She shrugged her shoulders, grinned like a fool, and started shouting.

"Alright then! I've got to escort this brat around town? Fine by me! Let's go maggot!" Anko grabbed the blonde around the middle and flew through the nearest window. A soft rain of glass shards trailed the kunoichi and her screaming passenger through the village.

Raido stood awkwardly in the now empty hallway. "You'll… um… apartment…need money…" He scowled as he began to take the long way to the ground floor, muttering about crazy women and dangerous little girls.

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**Notes: If you haven't figured it out yet, Anko and Raido both took part in the Jonin exam. Raido was promoted to Tokubetsu, or 'special' Jonin, and Anko has yet to learn what her results were.**

**It's annoying sometimes when people assume that all characters other than the Konoha 11 were always the same age and rank. **

**Strangely enough, this wasn't a difficult chapter to write. I already had the scene established, and the dialogue flowed fairly easily. Speaking of dialogue, I used a lot of it in this chapter. Good? Bad? How was it?**

**Please review!**


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